Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

The Standards for Libraries in Higher Education are designed to guide academic libraries in advancing and sustaining their role as partners in educating students, achieving their institutions’ missions, and positioning libraries as leaders in assessment and continuous improvement on their campuses. Libraries must demonstrate their value and document their contributions to overall institutional effectiveness and be prepared to address changes in higher education. These Standards were developed through study and consideration of new and emerging issues and trends in libraries, higher education, and accrediting practices. These Standards differ from previous versions by articulating expectations for library contributions to institutional effectiveness. These Standards differ structurally by providing a comprehensive framework using an outcomes-based approach, with evidence collected in ways most appropriate for each institution

Comparative susceptibility of eastern cottontails and New Zealand white rabbits to classical rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) and RHDV2

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In 2010, a genetically distinct RHDV named RHDV2 emerged in Europe and spread to many other regions, including North America in 2016. Prior to this study it was unknown if eastern cottontails (ECT(s); Sylvilagus floridanus), one of the most common wild lagomorphs in the United States, were susceptible to RHDV2. In this study, 10 wild-caught ECTs and 10 New Zealand white rabbits (NZWR(s); O. cuniculus) were each inoculated orally with either RHDV (RHDVa/GI.1a; n = 5 per species) or RHDV2 (a recombinant GI.1bP-GI.2; n = 5 per species) and monitored for the development of disease. Three of the five ECTs that were infected with RHDV2 developed disease consistent with RHD and died at 4 and 6 days post-inoculation (DPI). The RHDV major capsid protein/antigen (VP60) was detected in the livers of three ECTs infected with RHDV2, but none was detected in the ECTs infected with RHDV. Additionally, RHD viral RNA was detected in the liver, spleen, intestine and blood of ECTs infected with RHDV2, but not in the ECTs infected with RHDV. RHD viral RNA was detected in urine, oral swabs and rectal swabs in at least two of five ECTs infected with RHDV2. One ECT inoculated with RHDV2 seroconverted and developed a high antibody titre by the end of the experimental period (21 DPI). ECTs inoculated with the classic RHDV did not seroconvert. In comparison, NZWRs inoculated with RHDV2 exhibited high mortality (five of five) at 2 DPI and four of five NZWRs inoculated with RHDV either died or were euthanized at 2 DPI indicating both of these viruses were highly pathogenic to this species. This experiment indicates that ECTs are susceptible to RHDV2 and can shed viral RNA, thereby suggesting this species could be involved in the epidemiology of this virus

Promoter-Specific Roles for Liver X Receptor/Corepressor Complexes in the Regulation of ABCA1 and SREBP1 Gene Expression

Liver X receptors (LXRs) regulate the expression of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis, including the genes for ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and sterol response element binding protein 1 (SREBP1). Loss of LXR leads to derepression of the ABCA1 gene in macrophages and the intestine, while the SREBP1c gene remains transcriptionally silent. Here we report that high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are increased in LXR-deficient mice, suggesting that derepression of ABCA1 and possibly other LXR target genes in selected tissues is sufficient to result in enhanced HDL biogenesis at the whole-body level. We provide several independent lines of evidence indicating that the repressive actions of LXRs are dependent on interactions with the nuclear receptor corepressor (NCoR) and the silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptors (SMRT). While dissociation of NCoR and SMRT results in derepression of the ABCA1 gene in macrophages, it is not sufficient for derepression of the SREBP1c gene. These findings reveal differential requirements for corepressors in the regulation of genes involved in cholesterol and fatty acid homeostasis and raise the possibility that these interactions may be exploited to develop synthetic ligands that selectively modulate LXR actions in vivo